Sheena Dizon Last updated: December 2, 2022

Good Luck in Chinese: 29 Well-wishes and Blessings for Native Speakers

Luck is a huge part of Chinese culture.

So it may come as no surprise that there are many different ways to wish someone “good luck” in Chinese.

Whether someone just started a new job, is getting married or has an exam coming up, there are distinct phrases you can use to wish them good fortune (while impressing them with your native-sounding language skills).

Here are 29 ways to say good luck in Chinese, for everyday events as well as big life changes.

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Good Luck in Chinese for Everyday Situations

1. 祝你好运

Pinyin: zhù nǐ hǎo yùn

English: (I wish you) Good luck

To reiterate, the way you say good luck in Chinese depends on the context and audience, but this is the literal equivalent to the Western idea of wishing someone good luck.

The verb 祝 means “to wish,” 你 means “you,” 好 is “good” and 运 is “luck.”

This is as straightforward as it gets, but it’s not used very often because it sounds “too translated.” Native Chinese speakers prefer to use phrases that cater to specific situations in order to wish someone luck.

2. 好好儿考啊

Pinyin: hǎo hǎo er kǎo a

English: Have a good exam/Do well on this exam

Use this phrase for someone to wish someone luck on an upcoming test or exam.

3. 好好儿干啊

Pinyin: hǎo hǎo er gàn a

English: Do well on this task/job

If someone has a big task, project or job that needs to get done, use this phrase to wish them luck.

4. 我为你加油

Pinyin: wǒ wèi nǐ jiā yóu

English: I’m cheering for you

加油, which literally means “add oil,” is a figurative expression that best translates to “come on, let’s go!”

5. 我给你加油

Pinyin: wǒ gěi nǐ jiā yóu

English: I will cheer for you

This sentence, the previous example and the phrase 加油 on its own are most common in competitive situations, though they can be used in other instances, too.

Chinese Blessings for Newlyweds

6. 祝你们幸福

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men xìng fú

English: I wish you happiness

While you don’t exactly want to say “good luck,” you can use this phrase to wish a newly-married couple well.

7. 祝你们百年好合

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men bǎi nián hǎo hé

English: I wish you a long life together

Another saying for newlyweds, this one is literally “I wish you all the best for the next 100 years together.” You can drop the 祝你们 at the beginning if you want.

8. 祝你们幸福美满

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men xìng fú měi mǎn

English: I wish you happiness and bliss

You can use this phrase for the happy couple as well. And again, you can leave out the 祝你们 here if you want, since it’s implied that you’re extending the wish to the couple.

9. 祝你们新婚愉快

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men xīn hūn yú kuài

English: I wish you a happy marriage/wedding

Another general blessing for a just-married couple. Once more, you can drop 祝你们 since this is also an expression on its own.

10. 白头偕老

Pinyin: bái tóu xié lǎo

English: May you grow old together

The literal meaning of this one is “Live together until your hair goes white with old age.” It’s best to use this phrase if you’re close with the couple.

11. 多子多孙

Pinyin: duō zi duō sūn

English: May you have many children and grandchildren

This phrase is also better if you know the couple well. You’d use it to wish them a big, happy family.

12. 举案齐眉

Pinyin: jǔ àn qí méi

English: May you have mutual respect in marriage

A phrase that’s explicitly about marriage, this one literally means “Lift the tray to eyebrow level.“

13. 互敬互爱

Pinyin: hù jìng hù ài

English: May you have mutual respect and love

This is a well-meaning phrase that sounds perfect for a wedding card.

14. 激情永在

Pinyin: jī qíng yǒng zài

English: May you have everlasting passion

Another one that’s probably best if you know the couple well, it literally means, “Passion is always there.”

15. 早生贵子

Pinyin: zǎo shēng guì zǐ

English: May you give birth to a child soon

The original meaning was actually about giving birth to a son, so it’s best to reserve this wedding wish for traditional Chinese couples and families.

Birthday Wishes in Chinese

16. 生日快乐

Pinyin: shēng rì kuài lè

English: Happy birthday

Birthdays are another occasion when you might wish someone good fortune. In English we’d simply say “happy birthday,” but in Chinese, it’s very common to hear this as 祝你生日快乐 (literally “I wish you a happy birthday”).

17. 希望你健康快乐地长大

Pinyin: xī wàng nǐ jiàn kāng kuài lè dì zhǎng dà

English: I hope you grow up happy and healthy

Use this phrase to express birthday wishes for a child.

18. 祝你天天快乐，心想事成

Pinyin: zhù nǐ tiān tiān kuài lè, xīn xiǎng shì chéng

English: I wish that you’re happy every day and that all your wishes come true

This general birthday wish can be used for acquaintances and friends.

19. 长命百岁

Pinyin: cháng mìng bǎi suì

English: May you live for 100 years

This phrase is great to say to an elder on their birthday.

20. 寿比南山，福如东海

Pinyin: shòu bǐ nán shān, fú rú dōng hǎi

English: May you live as long as the Southern Mountain, and your fortune be as boundless as the Eastern Sea

This birthday saying is very poetic and very popular among older generations.

Chinese Wishes for Success, Prosperity and Fortune

21. 财源广进

Pinyin: cái yuán guǎng jìn

English: May you have an abundant source of income, wealth and fortune

Weddings and birthdays aren’t the only times you can send good wishes! If a friend just got hired, use this phrase to wish them luck at the new job.

22. 平步青云

Pinyin: píng bù qīng yún

English: May you get promoted quickly

Literally “skyrocket,” this is another good one for wishing someone success at a new job.

23. 马到成功

Pinyin: mǎ dào chéng gōng

English: May you immediately meet with success

This is another way to wish someone quick success with their new career.

24. 步步高升

Pinyin: bù bù gāo shēng

English: May you continuously get promoted

And one more for new jobs, this literally says, “Rise step by step.“

25. 恭喜发财

Pinyin: gōng xǐ fā cái

English: May you be prosperous

This phrase is used to mean “Happy New Year!” What you’d normally hear and say during Chinese New Year can also be used in a congratulatory sense, wishing someone luck in any future endeavor.

26. 身体健康

Pinyin: shēn tǐ jiàn kāng

English: I wish you good health

You can use this phrase, which literally means “healthy body,” during Chinese New Year or any other celebration.

27. 祝福你

Pinyin: zhù fú nǐ

English: Bless you

To wish someone happiness in everyday situations, you can say, “Bless you,” although this shouldn’t be confused with how English speakers use that phrase after someone sneezes. The literal translation is, “I wish happiness/good fortune on you.“

28. 保重

Pinyin: bǎo zhòng

English: Take care

This phrase can be used if you’re bidding someone adieu.

29. 一路顺风

Pinyin: yí lù shùn fēng

English: Bon voyage

This is also a farewell phrase that literally means “May the wind be with you!“

Now you’ll sound like a native when you wish people luck using any of these expressions!

To pick up these”good luck” phrases (and more) in Mandarin, you can try reading Chinese blogs or watching videos featuring native Mandarin speakers, like those on YouTube or FluentU.

The FluentU language learning program teaches Chinese using authentic videos, like commercials, news clips and music videos, equipped with tools like interactive subtitles and flashcards.

So, study the list above and you’ll be on your way to holding your own in Chinese conversations.

我为你加油！